Pilaster conste-ttctiow



May 1, 1923.

F. II'iIIEMTW1I PILASTER CONSTRUCTION 2/ Eur/w May 1, 1923.

IF. HEATH PILASTER CONSTRUCTION File May 1. 1920 5 Slwcat Shwt 5 Patented May 1, 1923.

FREDEItiCK HEATH, OF TACOMA, WASHINGTON.

PILASTEE CONSTRUCTION.

Application filed May 1, 1920. Serial No. 378,056.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatI, FREDERICK I'IEATH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Tacoma, in the county of Pierce and State of Washington, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin a Pilaster Construction, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates in general to building construction and more particularly to hollow tile structures, in which the walls are provided at intervals with pilasters, chim ney breasts and buttresses. Pilasters and buttresses sometimes are utilized in wall construction merely for architectural eliects, but more often, they are employed to reinforce the wall for strengthening purposes and for the purpose of serving as load carrying pillars.

Unless the pilaster or buttress struc ture is securely interbonded with the wall structure so as to become in effect, an integral part thereof, its effectiveness a reinforcement and as a load carrying member in conjunction with the wall is insullicient and the purpose for which the pilaster or buttress was designed is not attained. Prior to my invention, the inability to satisfactorily and firmly interbond the pilaster or buttress and wall structures together, has mitigated against the employment of hollow tile walls where pilaster and buttress constructions were required.

Gne of the primary objects of my presentinvention is to provide a pilaster or buttress construction which shall be so interwoven an interbonded with the body of the wall itself that it becomes an integral part of the wall and serves to strengthen and reinforce the wall proper and at the same time, provides a load-carrying pillar of m aximum strength in which the weight or load to be carried is di tributed between the wall body and the pilaster or buttress pillar.

Another object of oily invention is to pro vide a block particularly adapted for this pilaster and buttress construction and which is capable of use in the construction of pilas ters and buttresses of various standard dimansions, such for instance as 8 inch, 12 inch, 16 inch, 20 inch, and even larger widths, if des'red, and in depths of 4 inch gradations.

In order to facilitate an understanding of my invention, I have illustrated on the acpanying drawings, preferred embodiments thereof, from an inspection of which when considered in connection with the following description, my invention and many of its inherent advantages should be readily understood by those skilled in the art.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspect ve view, partially in section, of a pilaster construction embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of my improved pilaster block;

Fig. 3 1s a perspective view of a larger size pilaster construction in which the same pilaster block is utilized;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan view of one course of a pilaster construction, such as is shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a similar view ofthe next superposed course;

Fig. 6 is a similar view, showing one course of the pilaster construction, illustrated in Fig. 3;

Fig. 7 is a similar view of the next superposed course;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary perspective view of a pilasterconstruction incorporated in a thicker wall than that disclosed in Figs. 1

and 3 Fig. 9 is a plan view of the bottom course shown in Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 is a plan view posed course in Fig. 8;

Fig. 11 is a view similar to Fig. 8 showing the construction of a wider pilaster;

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary plan view of the lower course shown in Fig. 11;

Fig. 13 is a similar view ofthe next supei posed course shown in Fig. 11; i

Fig. 14: is a view similar to Figll showing the construction of a still wider pilaster, and

vention embodied in a chimney breast structure.

Referring now the drawings more in detail and particularly to Figs; 1 and 2thereof, it will be observed that my improved pilaster block, best shown in Fig. 2, is substantially rectangular in shape, its height being sub stantially equal to the height of the wall blocks with which it is employed and its width being slightly less than one half its length. Obviously, the dimensions of the block may be varied without departure from the essence of the invention, but for stand of the next super i Fig. 15 is a similar view showing my inard purposes, I prefer tp makemy block in, the following dimensions:

Inches. Height "5 Length 8 Width 37/ With these dimensions, it. will hemanifest that two blocks laid side by side with a inch 5 ace between them will. just equal in aggregate width the length of one of my blocks." 1 .Thedpilaster block shown in Fig. 2 and indicate "generallyby reference character 15, is made of clay of suitable composition, whichiis formed by machinery into the requisite shape and is then burned or fired in the customary manner. The completed block comprises a series of vertically dis posed webs and voids. Centrally and extending transversely of the block, I form a void in the shape of a narrow slot 16, which is preferably of an inch wide, or in other words, itis equal to the spacebetween two blocks laid parallel when their longitudinal outside faces are alignedwith the ends of a superposed or subjalcent. similar block. At each side of this central slot the block is formed to provide a plurality, preferably four vertically disposed. parallel voids 17 separated by longitudinal and transverse verticalwebs, as shown. It will be observed that the walls surrounding each of-these voids. are all ofsubstantially uniform thickness, which not only facilitates uniform drying and firing of the block without warping or distortion, but this uniform dimension alsoenablesthe blocks, to be su erposed with their webs andwoids in absolute vertical alignmentwhen the blocks are disposed with their longitudinalaxes at right angles toeach other.

The walls betweenthe various. voids are known as websv while those formin the side and end walls of the block are Enown as shells. The shelland web walls are, as previously mentioned, allot-substantially uni form thickness, withthe exception, however, of the shell portio'ns intermediate the ends of the block forming the end walls of the void or slot.16'." Atthese points the thick ness of the shelldsmaterially diminished so as to provide a weakened line of cleavage along. which. the blocks may be readily broken with a trowel to produce half blocks foruse', aswill later appear.

I 'amaware thatjtile blocks have, prior to my invention, been provided .with V-shaped gr'oovesor kerfs to facilitate breakage ,along a'predeterinined line, but Ihagve found that groovsor kerfss'o shaped resultin a fractureor crackalong this li-nein' the wall of the tile when. it is being burned. Such a fracture rendersthetile valueless as a, facing tile and in many cases entirely destroys its utility, thus causing a large amount of spoilage.

It will be observed that the outer edges of the slot 16 in my tile are full width, producing a fiat surface as distinguished from a sharp edge and leaving a uniform thickness of material between the slot and the outer faces of thgshall, Indrying, the uniformly thick shell at the sides of the slot dries evenly without distortion so that no cracking. or. fracture. occurs.

This .methodof weakening the shellwalls from theinside enables them to be readily split. or. broken while at the same time, it leaves the exteriorv of the block smooth and, unscoredso that it is capable of use for, fac- 1n purposes.

in Rig. 1, I. have illustraterhthe construr. tion of apilaster, 4inches deep and 8. inches wide, in conjunction with an wall. The wallblocks, indicated generally by re erence character 18, are of the approved type, disclosed in my prior Patent No. 1,215,149, granted February 6, 1917, and in the8, inch wall=illustrated, these blocks are laid in courses directly, over each other but withthe jointsbetween adjacent horimntal blocks, broken in adjacent. courses, as is customary in layingwalls of. this, character, In order to incorporate with and securely bond to this wall a pilaster construction em: bodying my invention, 1 proceed as follows An 8 inch pilaster bein desired, I lay adjacent the face of the we 1 the pilaster is, to be, one of (3y pilaster bloc ks, which is disposed para] e with the face of the wall, as shownin. gig. 4, this pilaster block in Figs. 1 and 4 being indicatcd by reference character, 19. Since the block is not quite 4 incheswide, l point with mortanthe edgesof the space between thp, block and the face. ofthc wall, so that the outer face of the block is disposedjust the requisite 4 inches from the face of thewall. This first pilaster block is, of course, laid simultaneousl with the laying of the first, course of wal block.

In the building of tl second course, the pilaster. blocks arepreferably laid first axul instead of being parallelwvith the wall, l lay two blocks transversely of the wall with; their outer faces in vertical aligguuent with the outer faces of the block; 19,, these two blocks being indicated in F igs. 1 and 5 by reference character-21. It Wlll be manifest that with the outer faces of. the blocks in vertical alignment, there is, asp ace lcft hotween them equal to the width of the slot 16 in the subj acent block 19, and this space isleftopen to provide a, dead air space exceptatits margins, Where it is lillcpl for a short distance with mortar 22. W'ith the blocks thus positioned. all of the voids of the outer halfof the two blocks 21 are in abso lute vertical alignment with the correspondat the .place where i means"? ing voids 17 in the subjacent block 19 and all of the vertical webs and shell walls surrounding these voids are in absolute vertical alignment in the two courses. This alignment insures the maximum load-carrying or crushing strength in the pilasterblocks.

The space within the wall body at the rear ends of the two blocks 21 is now filled by placing therein longitudinally of the wall, a third pilaster block, which is indicated by reference character 25. The innor face of this block is thus disposed fiush with the other face of the wall and since it overlies the joint between these subjacent wall blocks 18, it serves to break the joint and bond these blocks together. It is understood, of course, that a layer of mortar is placed between the horizontal courses of both the wall and pilaster blocks. In the laying of the third course, the arrangement carried out in course No. l is followed and in the fourth course, the arrangement of course No 2, and so on, the full height of the wall, with the result that the pilaster blocks of each course are disposed at right angles to the blocks of the nextsubjacent and next superposed courses and are alter nated with the wall blocks of the wall body proper so that the whole structure is firmly inter-bonded and bound into an integral construction in which the vertical webs of the superposed pilaster blocks are in vertical alignment so as to provide a maximum load carrying strength in the construction. Furthermore, since those portions of the pilaster blocks which are disposed within the planes of the wall proper lie between the flat horizontal faces of the underlying and overlying wall blocks, it will be manifest that a strong and firmly interbonded structure is produced. The mortar between the courses also serves to augment the bonding and it will be apparent that the ends of the web and shell walls present an aggregate surface of considerable area for mortar contact so that very little if any mortar falls through the open ended voids.

Should it be desired to provide a 12 inch pilaster in a wall of this thickness, the method disclosed in Figs. 8, 6 and 7 is followed. In the lower course, I again lay a pilaster block along the outer face of the wall and parallel therewith, this block being inclicated by reference character 24. At one end. however, I add another bloolr, 25, arranged transversely of the wall with its outer end flush. with the outer face of the block 24L. as shown in Figs. 3 and 6. The space atthe inner end of the block 25 within the wall body is filled by half block 26, which is ob tainedbv cutting one of the blocks 15 trans versely through the center in the plane of the slot 16 in the manner previously eX- plained. In the next superposed course, the order is reversed, the longitudinal block being placed to overlie one hall of each or the blocks 24 and 25, this block being new numbered 27 and, at the left hand end of the bloclr 2'7, I place in transverse position, lock 28, andat the inner end of this block, another hall block 29. The wall blocks 18 are laid with relation to the pilaster blocks in the manner shown in Figs. 3, 6 and 7, iIOIll which it will be observed that the joints oi both the pilaster blocks and the wall blocks are broken in each alternate course, thus securing the maximum strength and, again in this structure, the maximum load-carrying strength is secured by having all of the vertical walls oi the pilaster blocks in vertical alignment.

The 8 inch pilaster in conjunction with a 12 inch wall is illustrated in Figs. 8, 9 and 10. The 12 inch thickness oi the wall body is obtained by using in conjunction with the wall blocks 18, halt blocks, which are indicated by reference character 81, the method of laying these blocks being fully described in my prior patent above mentioned. but from the illustrations herein, it will be apparent that the blocks 18 and 31 are arranged on opposite sides of the wall in alternate courses.

The first course of the pilastcr structure is again started by laying a block parallel with the outer face 01": the wall, as indicated by reference character 32, and in the next course two blocks are laid transversely of the wall, as indicated by reference character 33, these bloclrs being arranged with their webs and voids in vertical alignment with the webs and voids of the block 32, as previously described. In this instance, the employment oi? a longitudinally extending block at the rear otthe blocks as illustrated in Fig. 1 is unnecessary, as is alsothe employment of a halt bloclr suchas illustrated in Fig. Zl, since the alternation of the blocks 18 and 31 completely talre care of the wall body structure and provide a sturdy and firmly interbonded pilaster and w all construction by simply alternating the position of the pilaster blocks in successive courses.

A 12 inch pilaster in conjunction with a 12 inch wall is secured by laying the blocks as illustrated in Figs. 11 to 13 inclusive, from which it will be observed that the first course comprises a longitudinal pilaster bloclr 3-.i with a transverse block 35 at one end thereoi, the space at the rear of the block 35 being filledby a half block 36. In the next course where the half wall block 31 appears at the outside, the longitudinal block now indicated by 37 overlies the blocks S-l and 35 while the transverse block 38 overlies the block 3 1 and the subjacent block 18, and just reaches to the block 18 oi this course as shown in Fig. 13 so that no halt block is necessary.

In this instance also, the joints in successive coursesof bothethe wall blocks-and the pilaster blocks. are. broken and the vertical -webs and shellsof the pilaster blocks are disposed in verticalaligninent, thus insurmg maximum load-.carrylng strength.

In Fig. 14, I have illustrated asa further. embodizrnentof'my invention, a 20 inch pilaster in. conjunctionwith a 12 inch wall. The wall proper in, thisinstance consists of the .tile. 18 and the half tile 81, as previously explained, but in, the first course wherethehalzt tile. 31 appears on.-.the outside oiitliiewall the pilaster is begun before the halftile 31 are laid. The pilaster structure in-this instancei comprises in the first course the pilaster blocks 41 and 42 laid transversely of the wall, their inner lends being. spaced. half an. inch from, the tile 18 so that these blocks are disposed within the longitudinal planes of the half tiles31.

the ends of which when these tileare. laid,

abut .against the blocks 41 and 42 as shown.

Between the pilaster blocks is interposed one of. the building tile 18, which is substantially 12 inchesinlength, and together with the pilaster blocks 41 and 42 is bonded into the .wall structure itself.

In the next course, the wall, proper consists of the tile 18 and 31, and the pilaster rojection is composed of two pilaster locks 43 and. 44 laid. longitudinally, and a halt block 45 interposed between them. The third course is a repetition of the first, andv alternate courses throughout the height of the structure are duplicates.

I have shown for purposes of illustrationpleted-structure having maximum load-carrying ability.

In. Fig. 15, I have illustrated my inven tion as embodied'in a chimney breast construction which, in all essential respects,

. is similar tothe 20-inch pilaster construe tionjust described and. illustrated in Fig. 14, except that in chimney breast construction, provision is. made' for a flue lining. around. which the tiles .and'bloclns are laid,

.as will: nowjbe described.

The the lining, which is customarily made of, fire;;clay, is illustrated in the present instance as being approximately 12 inches square, thelining being designated by ..reference character 40. In laying the first course the bottom section of'ths flue lining is first placed'in position and the double tile 18 abutted against this lining. which is so positioned that itsouter face is flush with the outer face. of the half tile 31, which is spaced from the flue lining by the inter-positiomof a pilaster block 41. The tile 18 obviously projects inwardly beyond the inner face ofthe flue linin so that a space 4 inches wide and 12 inc as long at the inner side or the flue lining between the locks 18 is left. and this space is then filled with a half tile 31.

The pilaster block 42 is similarl disposed at the opposite side of the flue ining between this lining and the half tile 31 and the outer face oflthe flue lining is covered by a pilaster block 47 laid lengthwise between the blocks 41 and 42.

In the next course, the tile 18 is laid on. the outside and is therefore, dis osed in alignment with the flue linin t e inner face being covered. by the h f tile 31 as illustrated and the outerfaceiby two ilaster blocks 43 and 44 and an interposed half block 45, as shown in thednawings. The superposed. courses alternate in arrangement so that the tile and blocks are all firmly bonded together into a strong, durable construction surrounding and l enclosing the vertically disposed flue lining.

From the foregoing illustrations, it will be manifest that my invention may be embodied invnot only 8, 12, 16 and QO inch pilaster constructions, but also in larger. multiples of tour, by arranging the blocks in the general manner indicated inconnection with the forms herein illustrated. In every inr stance, however, the blocks are so arranged that their webs are in vertical alignment and the pilasterhlochs are firmly interbondeil and bound with the wall blocks to insure maximum strength of the structure.

It is believed that my invention and the manner of constructing the same and many of its inherent advantages will be fully understood and appreciated from the foregoing without further description, but it should be obvious that various modifications in the structural details illustrated and described may be referred to without departing from the essence of the invention,as set forth in the following claims.

I claim- 1. A pilaster construction. comprising wall blocks and pilaster blocks arranged in interbonding relation in superposed courses. the width of each pilaster block being slightly lessthan one half its length. one of said courws including a pilaster block disposed parallel with and entirely. outside of the wall face and the next superposed course including a pilaster block disposed at right angles to and overlapping said subjacentblock and also overlapping a wall block within the Wall body to securely bond the wall and pilaster together.

A pilaster construction, comprising su perposed courses, each consisting ct wall bloclrs and pilaster blocks, one course including a pilaster block disposed parallel with and outside the wall face, and the neat superposed course including; a pilaster bloclr arranged transversely of the wall and l1avin'g a portion thereof disposed inside the face or' the wall and supported by a subjacent wall block, and a portion disposed out side said wall face and supported upon said subjacent pilaster block whereby said pilaster and Wall body are bonded together.

3. A pilaster construction, consisting oi: wall blocks and pilaster blocks arranged in courses in inter-bonded relation, said pilaster blocks being equal in height to the wall blocks and of a width slightly less than one half their length, each pilastcr block being); provided with vertically disposed voids separated by vertical ly disposed wcltis, one oti said voids being relatively narrow and er.- tending; transversely of the block substantially centrally thereof, the pilaster blocks in the superposed courses being disposed alternately parallel with and perpendicular to the face of the wall with all of the webs and voids outside the wall face in perpendicular alignment, the pilaster blocks disposed perpendicular to the wall face being supported at their inner ends upon the wall blocks within the wall body so that said wall blocks and pilaster blocks are interbondingly bonded together.

41-. In a construction of the character described, in combination, wall blocks arranged in courses, each block having parallel intermediate webs and three longitudinal voids, and hollow column blocks havingi webs and shells and being; oi. the same height as said three void blocks and of a length equal to the Width oi the three void blocks, and arranged in courses parallel.

with the direction of the wall. blocks in one course and transversely thereof in another course and closing the ends oi? the adjacent voids oil? the wall blocks in each course and overlapping a subjacent bloclr, the web and shell members of the column blocks standing in either parallel or transverse position in true vertical alignment with the webs and shells of the blocks above and below.

5. In a building construction, the combination of wall blocks having three longitu dinal voids, the central void being narrow and defined by parallel. vertical webs separated the distance of an ordinary mortar joint, column load-bearing blocks consisting of parallel vertical webs and shells and having a narrow central void, said column blocks standing parallel and transversely to the wall. blocks and interbonding therewith and each having all its webs and shells in true vertical alignment with the blocks above and below, said column blocks serving to close the ends of the voids of the adjacent wall blocks in the same course and completing each course uniformly.

6. In a wall and pilaster construction, the combination of wall blocks having three longitudinal voids, and hollow pilaster blocks having webs and shells and being of the same height as the three void blocks, and of a length equal to the width of the three void blocks, and having central webs spaced to define a void corresponding to the central void of the three void blocks, and having cross Webs defining a plurality of voids between said webs and shells whereby a Inortar-carrying bed of substantial area is provided, said pilaster blocks being arranged both parallel and transversely to the wall blocks and interbondinn' therewith and each hi its webs and shells in. true vertical alignment with the webs and shells of the wall blocks or pilastcr blocks above and below.

FREDERICK HEATH. 

